Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 8, no. 4 (Feb. 2011 )

A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia's public libraries

volume 8, issue 4 I February 2011

Travis Hatfield

Georgians' public library use remains strong in 2010

"Libraries continue to be a vital
force in Georgia's communities," said State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch.
"The latest statistics are in and they are impressive to say the least. In addition to the services public libraries are known for, our libraries are taking their place at the forefront of the digital revolution and are, in fact, bridging the digital divide in our communities. Libraries are instrumental in building digital literacy and the work force development skills that are needed by today's citizens."
According to figures compiled from recently completed annual reports for the state's 61 public library systems, patron visits to Georgia's public libraries dipped slightly between 2009 and 2010, from 40,852,165 to 39,392,010. The 3 percent drop, however, correlates to the 3 percent reduction in hours that libraries were open during the year. Due to decreases in funding, Georgia libraries were open 24,509 fewer hours this past year than in 2009. Patron visits still show a cumulative increase, however, of nearly 24 percent since 2006 -- the last year before the state's current economic crunch.

No rookie when it comes to reading
Buster Posey (center), 2010 National League Rookie of the Year, shows off his ceremonial PINES library card during his duties as grand marshal of the annual Christmas parade in Lee County on Dec. 4. A native of Leesburg and catcher with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants, Posey was presented with the giant PINES card by Lee County Commission Chairman Ed Duffy (left) and Lee County Library board of trustees member Pat Edwards (right).

Overall, circulation of hard materials is up nearly 16 percent from 2006, although it showed a slight decrease of 1.3 percent last year, from 47,811,748 to 47,155,895. These figures do not include a full accounting of loans of electronic books, which have increased significantly among those systems that track the data. Twentythree Georgia library systems currently participate in a consortium that uses OverDrive as its distributor of e-books, audiobooks and other digital content. As of January, Georgia's purchased OverDrive collection includes 3,180 copies representing 2,576 titles. Library

patrons borrowed a book from the OverDrive collection 64,510 times in FY2010, an increase of 45 percent.
These numbers come from the annual reports of Georgia's 61 public library systems, as reported to GPLS and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the federal agency that compiles and publishes annual statistics for public libraries nationwide.
The reported number of publicaccess computer sessions at Georgia's libraries this year topped 13.5 million, a number that does not
See Statistics, page 2

Statistics
Continued from page 1 take into account the dramatic increase in the use of wireless devices. Although most libraries are now wireless "hot spots" and many offer the service 24 hours a day, most have no way to count their number of wireless sessions.
"This year, as in the past, we have only counted sessions in which patrons physically used a libraryowned computer," explained Julie Walker, deputy state librarian. "And in 2010, many libraries reached a saturation point, at which every computer is used every day, every hour, from opening to closing. For them, traditional computer use session numbers cannot increase. However, wireless access to library networks has become nearly universally available in Georgia's libraries, and its use has increased dramatically."
Library visitors are using laptops, smart phones and tablet computers such as iPads in growing numbers, often bringing bandwidth to critically high levels and noticeably slowing Internet traffic at many facilities.
"Having wireless access used to be anecdotal -- a `nice thing to have' -- in a public library, said Alan Harkness, assistant state librarian for library development. "Now it's a core part of our business. Customers want to use their smart phones, iPads and laptops when they come into our buildings. But providing that bandwidth, even if it doesn't have an associated cost in public computers, does have significant infrastructure costs that are invisible to the user."
Based on sampled data, Savannah-based Live Oak Public Libraries estimated that more than

100,000 wireless sessions took place in its 18 facilities in 2010. Eastmanbased Ocmulgee Regional Library System estimated that more than 5,000 wireless sessions occurred in its six facilities. The 22-branch DeKalb County Public Library doesn't count wireless sessions but tracked bandwidth increases of 33 percent in 2009 and another 16 percent in 2010, bringing it closer and closer to its saturation point.

"More than 60 percent of our

libraries experience network

saturation on a

daily basis,"

acknowledged

Emily Almond,

director of

information

technology for

Georgia Public

Library Service.

"It's like a junction box

Almond

problem with a house that was built

50 years ago. That house was

initially wired for a radio, a television

and a toaster. Today's families own

10 times that many electronics, and

putting in more outlets won't solve

the problem. It takes a new junction

box -- all new lines that can bring in

more power. Bandwidth works the

same way. Libraries have thus far

been adding new outlets to try and

meet demand, but we're now

realizing that we need more

bandwidth, not just more access

points."

According to an American Library Association study on Internet connectivity in U.S. public libraries, expanded wireless access combined with increasingly interactive, graphics-heavy and multimedia Internet services place a heavy burden on the public library's Internet access. According to the report, "a majority (59.6 percent) of public libraries report that the speed of their public access to the Internet

is insufficient to meet the needs of library users and staff some or all the time.
"In short, the ability of public libraries to maintain high-quality public-access Internet services is diminishing due to the inability of libraries to keep up with the demand of bandwidth-intensive services and resources. And libraries, in an attempt to provide more public access by adding wireless service that shares the same connection with the library's public computers, are actually exacerbating the situation -- the more computers that share a connection, the less bandwidth each computer receives."
Almond said she anticipates the demand for bandwidth in Georgia's public libraries to grow exponentially and that GPLS "must explore several avenues to continue successfully bridging the digital divide."
Tracking these new forms of computer use is important as libraries strive to stretch their limited resources to meet users' growing expectations. "To do anything less is only telling a part of the story," Walker said, acknowledging that most efforts in that area are fledgling, at best.
"The only way to accurately measure network use is to look at the amount of bandwidth consumed by respective library systems," said Almond. "We have to move away from just counting public-access computer sessions. Our abilities to gather statistics are now behind the new technology. We need to -- and plan to -- incorporate a consistent metric and measurement tool for libraries to use in gathering data for the coming years."
Georgia's increase in public library use corresponds to similar
See Statistics, page 3

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Georgia Public Library Service News February 2011

Staff

Deal recommends 4.3 percent cut in state support for public libraries
Gov. Nathan Deal delivered his first State of the State
address on Jan. 12, presenting the Legislature with his budget recommendations for the coming 18 months. For the amended Fiscal Year 2011 budget, which began July 1, 2010, Deal recommended reductions of approximately $27.5 million. For the FY2012 budget, the governor proposed a 3.75 percent increase over his amended 2011 recommendations, for a total budget of $18.162 billion.

If passed by the Legislature, the cut in state support for Georgia's public libraries during FY2011 will stand at $1,402,057 (4.3 percent). The reductions cover both state grants to libraries and Georgia Public Library Service's operating budget.

Only one of the 11 public library capital outlay proposals made by the Board of Regents for a state bond funding total of $17,235,000 for FY2012 received Deal's recommendation. He included $1.15 million in the proposed bond package for helping to rebuild the Twiggs County Library, which was destroyed by a lightning strike and subsequent fire this past April.

"I know that our new governor

recognizes the great value of

Georgia's public libraries," said State

Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch, "but

with the additional cuts mandated by

the state's projected budget

shortfalls, almost every recipient of

state funding will have to work with

less money this year. While the

Veatch

governor's cuts were anticipated, it will be a significant challenge for

libraries, as well as for GPLS, to absorb them and still

provide the services that communities around the state

rely on."

Golden anniversary
The Elbert County Library celebrated its 50th anniversary as a countywide public library with a variety of events this past fall. Congratulating current system director Anne Grace (far left) are Julie Walker, deputy state librarian; Peggy Johnson, Grace's predecessor as director; and Camilla Bailey, a former employee who retired from the system in 2009 following 48 years of service.
Statistics
Continued from page 2 reports from across the country, according to Diana Very, director of LSTA, Statistics and Research for GPLS. She noted that other states are also scrambling for ways to measure wireless use. "Based on an informal survey of state data coordinators, most libraries don't yet have the capability to count it," she said.
According to a recent Harris Poll from Harris Interactive, however, nearly 70 percent of Americans now have a library card. This is the greatest number of Americans with library cards since the American Library Association began measuring usage 20 years ago. Georgia's story is similar, with PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) alone topping 2.4 million library cards in use during 2010.

It's possible, Veatch said, that the General Assembly will restore some library funding as members of the House and Senate work through the governor's budget and consider modifications. "If not," he said, "Georgia's public library systems will have to depend on additional local funding or be forced to further reduce hours and services."
Based on the annual Georgia Public Library Statistics survey, the state's public libraries reduced operating hours by 24,509, or nearly 3 percent, during FY2010 (July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010). I

"No matter what devices they use to do it, when Georgians are looking for work, they use their public library's free Internet access to assist their job search," Veatch said.
"When people economize, they check out books, magazines and DVDs instead of buying them. When they want to improve their knowledge and life skills, they use the increasingly vast resources available to them at the public library. Georgia's residents depend on and appreciate the services their libraries provide, and these annual statistics offer concrete proof of that." I

3
February 2011 Georgia Public Library Service News

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CONTACT US
Georgia Public Library Service 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304 404.235.7200 404.235.7201 fax www.georgialibraries.org
Lamar Veatch, state librarian
David Baker, editor
Georgia Public Library Service News (ISSN 1546-511X) is published bimonthly by the Georgia Public Library Service, the state agency that supports public libraries and works with them to improve the quality and variety of library services available to Georgia citizens of all ages. This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Georgia Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Information presented in this newsletter will be provided in alternative formats on request. For more information about Georgia's libraries and literary events, or to post an event, visit our online calendar at www.georgialibraries.org

JoEllen Ostendorf

1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
A Unit of the University System of Georgia

Peace tree
"The Peace Tree," a Troup Arts Project (TAP) completed by students this past summer and placed in the courtyard of the LaGrange Memorial Library, was dedicated Nov. 6. Each of the tree's leaves was designed and drawn by students as symbols of peace. Troup-Harris Public Library board member Kay Durand was recognized at the dedication ceremony as the driving force in having the library recognized as the "heart of LaGrange." From left are Durand and her husband, Fred; and TAP Director Rebecca Mitchell.